Help CenterThere’s a high chance that you’re using either Airbnb or Vrbo (or both!) to connect with new guests and source bookings. Online travel agencies (OTAs) such as these can be notoriously tricky about allowing you to share documents or links from external sources.
So, how do you share your Touch Stay guidebook link with guests if you’re primarily communicating via Airbnb and/or Vrbo?
Airbnb
Once a guest has confirmed their booking, you can share your guidebook link with them via the Airbnb Host inbox, or via the email alias Airbnb provides. Airbnb won’t hide the link. If you manage your guest communications manually, you can simply paste your guidebook link into Airbnb messages or emails.
Note: Airbnb doesn’t automatically provide email addresses for your guests. To receive this, you’ll need to alter your account settings. Airbnb explains how to do so in this help article. You will automatically receive your guest’s mobile number.
An alternative option is to use Memo – the Touch Stay guest notification system – to schedule emails and SMS messages throughout your guests’ stay. To use Memo, you’ll need your guest’s mobile number, their email address, or both.
All you need to do to enable Memo is choose and customise your message templates, and create a new Invitation with your guest’s mobile number and/or email address.
If you use OwnerRez, you can also set up a message schedule which communicates with guests via the Airbnb platform.
Vrbo
Vrbo operates through a similar system. Once a guest has confirmed their reservation, you can send your guidebook link via the Vrbo messaging platform and/or straight to your guest’s email address.
Again, you’ll only be able to share the link after the booking is confirmed. Until this point, Vrbo will hide the link in the message your guest receives.
If you manually manage your guest communication flow, you can simply paste your guidebook link into the messages you’re already sending via email/text/the Vrbo platform. If you’d like to use Memo – the Touch Stay guest notification system – just follow the steps outlined above. Unlike Airbnb, Vrbo automatically shares guests’ phone numbers and email address once a booking is confirmed. You can use these to schedule automatic email and SMS alerts from your Touch Stay account.
Interested in how you can use OTAs to gather guest contact details? Find out more here.
How many times should you share your guidebook link?
Memo contains seven SMS templates, and six email templates. They’re punchy, to the point, and they tell guests exactly why they should be opening your guidebook. All you need to do is make sure they match your tone of voice, and you’re all set!
Whilst the content of these templates overlaps (so that you can choose if you want to share info via email or text) we would recommend sharing your guidebook with guests at least seven times over the course of their stay. This might look like:
- Post-booking email
- Email highlighting events and tickets for guests to book
- Email explaining the grocery delivery options in your guidebook
- Text directing them to access instructions and WiFi codes
- Post-arrival text, to check how they’re settling in
- Pre-departure text, to remind them of check-out procedures
- Post-departure email, to request a review
And this is only a starting point. Tyann, our Queen of Guest Experience, contacts her guests at least fourteen times between booking and post-departure.
For more info about when and how to share your guidebook with Memo, check out this article.